It’s easy to see why anyone could succumb to the cable ramps. Cables protection floor are a mainly aesthetic solution for interior and exterior guardrails.
Their range of applications is incredibly diverse, and they are equally suitable for a nautical-inspired summer cottage or cabin or a chic industrial loft located in the city center. Each project presents an infinite number of customization possibilities.
Before starting your project, take the time to review the answers to our customer service team’s most frequently asked questions over the past ten years regarding the installation of cable guardrails. Properly planned, the installation will present less difficulty and obtain a final result of better quality.
1. What About Building Codes?
You will need to check if your local building code allows horizontal infills. This means that cable railings are now an excellent ornamental railing infill. As the code varies from region to region, we always recommend that you consult your local construction department or a licensed engineer before starting your project to ensure that it complies with regulations.
2. What Are The Structural Requirements?
The successful installation of a cable railing always depends on a crucial factor: fixing the posts to the terrace, the floor, or the staircase. End posts must be strong enough to withstand tensile forces of several hundred pounds transmitted by guardrail cables.
The installation of end posts of sufficient size is necessary to prevent them from twisting under the effect of tensioning forces on the cables. If the pole material is not strong enough to withstand tensile stresses, the pole could break or twist, and cables could hang down.
For wood end posts, nominal dimensions of at least 4 “x 4” are generally required. For stainless steel posts, a minimum of 2 “x 2” dimensions and a wall thickness of at least ΒΌ “are recommended.
Guardrails with cable infill should always have a top rail for structural integrity. It is important to always install the top rail before filling so that it absorbs and deflects the applied load when the cable is tensioned. It is better to install the top rails between the posts rather than just mounting them on top of the posts.
A complete guardrail requires between 11 and 14 rows of cables, depending on the posts’ height, the structure, and the spacing between the cables. To ensure that code requirements are met, we recommend a three-inch spacing between each row of cables. The cable must be supported in some way at least every 48 “to prevent warping of the cable lengths exceeding 4”. Structurally unnecessary intermediate posts can be thin metal cable supports with holes for cable passage.
You will also have to consider your application’s nature: terrace, level patio, or stairs.
